ever
gb/ˈɛvɚ/ us/ˈɛvɚ/
A2
English
~ 400
valaha, bármikor, mindig, állandóan, minden idők, egyre, mindinkább
A2
1
Usage pattern:
Have you ever [past participle]...?
Have you ever been to Japan?
Jártál már valaha Japánban?
No one has ever done that before.
Még soha senki nem csinált ilyet.
If you ever need help, just call me.
It’s the best movie I’ve ever seen.
Have you ever wondered why the sky is blue?
Learner examples
Have you ever eaten sushi?
Ettél már valaha szusit?
I have never ever seen snow.
Még soha, de tényleg soha nem láttam havat.
If you ever come to my city, I will show you around.
She is the best teacher I have ever had.
Have you ever played football?
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'ever' with 'never'. 'Ever' is used for questions and negatives to mean 'at any time', while 'never' means 'at no time'.
Meaning
at any time
Collocations
hardly ever
|if ever
|never ever
|first ever
|only ever
Synonyms
at any time (More formal phrase with same literal meaning.)
Antonyms
never (Means 'at no time', the direct opposite.)
Themes
time
|conversation
|questions
|core_vocabulary
Definition
At any time before now, now, or in the future.
At any time, whether in the past, present, or future.
B2
2
She is ever hopeful about the future.
Mindig reménykedik a jövőben.
The company is ever growing in popularity.
A cég népszerűsége folyamatosan nő.
He remained ever faithful to his friends.
Learner examples
She is ever happy to help.
Mindig szívesen segít.
The city is ever busy.
A város állandóan nyüzsög.
He is ever ready to learn.
Common mistake:
Some learners overuse 'ever' instead of 'always' in everyday speech; 'ever' in this sense is more formal or literary.
Meaning
always; continuously
Collocations
ever present
|ever changing
|ever increasing
Synonyms
always (Most common synonym; 'ever' can sound more formal or literary in this sense.)
Antonyms
never (Means 'at no time', opposite of 'always'.)
Themes
time
|frequency
|core_vocabulary
Definition
All the time, without stopping.
At all times; continuously without stopping.
A2
3
valaha
B1
minden idők
B2
It was the best meal I’ve ever had.
Ez volt a legjobb étel, amit valaha ettem.
This is the worst day ever!
Ez minden idők legrosszabb napja!
She’s the most talented person ever.
Learner examples
This is my best day ever.
Ez a valaha volt legjobb napom.
It was the worst movie ever.
Ez minden idők legrosszabb filmje volt.
He is the fastest runner ever.
Common mistake:
Learners may use 'ever' for emphasis in contexts where it sounds unnatural, such as with ungradable adjectives.
Meaning
used for emphasis
Collocations
best ever
|worst ever
|biggest ever
Synonyms
absolutely (Can be used for strong emphasis, but 'ever' ties emphasis to all time.)
Themes
emphasis
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Used to make a statement stronger or more extreme.
Used to emphasize how extreme or complete something is.
B2
4
egyre
A2
mindinkább
C1
She became ever more confident as the speech went on.
A beszéd közben egyre magabiztosabb lett.
The problem is getting ever worse.
A probléma egyre rosszabb.
They face an ever greater challenge each year.
Learner examples
The work became ever harder.
A munka egyre nehezebb lett.
He grew ever more tired.
Egyre fáradtabb lett.
The road got ever steeper.
Meaning
increasingly; continually more
Collocations
ever increasing demand
|ever greater challenges
Synonyms
increasingly ('Increasingly' focuses on gradual growth; 'ever' adds a sense of ongoing change over time.)
Themes
comparison
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Used after words like 'better' or 'more' to show that something changes more and more over time.
Used after comparatives to indicate a continuing change or increase.
Grammar
Dictionary form
ever
IPA
GB/ˈɛvɚ/
US/ˈɛvɚ/
Syllables & stress
ever (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (ever)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: ever
- Plural: evers
Word family
Forms
evers
noun
Core family
forever
adverb A2
Negative and opposite forms
never
adverb A1
Advanced or less common
everlasting
adjective B2
Expressions
first ever
1/fˈɚst ˈɛvɚ/
fixed phrase
first time something happens
The first time something has happened or been done.
Examples
- This is the first ever meeting between the two leaders.
- She won her first ever gold medal last year.
for ever and ever
1/fɚ ˈɛvɚ ˈænd ˈɛvɚ/
fixed phrase
literary
forever without end
For all time, with no end.
Examples
- They promised to love each other for ever and ever.
- The memory will stay with me for ever and ever.
if ever
1/ˈɪf ˈɛvɚ/
fixed phrase
on rare occasions, if at all
Used to say something happens very rarely, or maybe never.
Examples
- He seldom, if ever, speaks in public.
- If ever there was a reason to celebrate, this is it.
never ever
1/nˈɛvɚ ˈɛvɚ/
fixed phrase
informal
absolutely never
Not at any time, for any reason.
Examples
- I will never ever lie to you.
- We are never ever going back there.
hardly ever
1/hˈɑɹdli ˈɛvɚ/
fixed phrase
Almost never
Used to say that something happens very rarely.
Examples
- I hardly ever go to the cinema these days.
- She hardly ever eats chocolate.
- She hardly ever eats meat.